Colin's Grandma

LoveReading4Kids Says

Brimming with illustrative panache, and fresh on the fancy vampiric coat-tails of Colin's Castle!, Holly Swain’s Colin’s Grandma is a fang-tastic feast of picture book fun.

Colin lives in his “perfect vampire castle” with Duck. While the unlikely duo don’t always see eye to eye, they share a love of gardening, watching movies and trampolining. Today they’re focused on one task — making their castle spick and span ready for a visit from Colin’s Grandma. But Grandma prefers the cobwebs and throws away the vaccum cleaner, she sees no point in vegetables for dinner, - and she’s a firm believer that “castles are JUST for vampires”. And so, Colin is compelled to make a stand. After declaring that the castle is also Duck’s home, he unleashes all manner of atypical vampire truths that Grandma might find hard to take, including the fact that he’s a vegetarian and sleeps at night. Horror of horrors! There’s no way Grandma can stay in such a place.

But before she leaves, Colin persuades Grandma to tuck into a veggie stir-fry (“It’s really not bad!” she admits) and to try the trampoline, all of which leaves her determined visit again very soon, while she leaves Colin and Duck with an unexpected gift…

Shot-through with a fun take on defying expectations (in Colin’s case) and stepping out of your comfort zone (well done, Grandma!), little ones will respond to the funny final twist with excited cries of “Again! Again!” as a result of Colin’s Grandma being such a treat to read aloud.

Joanne Owen

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